A letter from the Past that re-writes the present
by riah alice drake
Summary: This is another, not all my idea fanfics. This one was inspired by an answered ask on what was in Alice's letter to Robin done by enixamyram on tumbler. The ending is just my own take on what happens when Rogers and Weaver go to get Margot as teased in in the 7x20 press release for Once.
1. A letter from the Past

Based on:

post/173515216839/can-you-write-alice-s-letter-to-robin-i-want-to

A letter from the Past that re-writes the present

The day had been a long one dragging on and on with no end in sight. What was worse was that Tilly wasn't returning any of her texts. "What's the good of having a girlfriend if I can't text her in the middle of the day on her day off?" the part-time bartender complained more to herself than anyone else grateful that everyone within hearing distance of her little outburst was too busy talking with someone else to really be listening to her.

Everyone that is but her aunt.

"You just saw her like." Roni paused looking at her watch for dramatic effect "wow almost a full hour ago." Her boss reminded her with a teasing smile as she pulled the lever on the beer tap refilling someone's glass for them.

"I know that. That's not really what I'm upset about…." Margot paused with a frustrated sigh wondering why she was still upset about this ever since that weird woman had come in talking about dead trees coming back to life and just as quickly vanished leaving Margot with a bleeding poke to her finger and a painful longing ache in her chest over her 'Almost Runway' no not her runaway Tilly was her 'Tower Girl' now and forever. Although why her mind had come up with Tilly being trapped in towers was strange in and of itself. Tilly didn't belong in a tower. She should be free to roam and run like Alice is having adventures and setting little tea parties with her favorite jam and candy apples. But it could just be that the rook was her girlfriend's favorite chess piece so her frazzled mind had just put the two together to save time.

"It's just…" Margot stammered her hands automatically reaching for the bar towel under the bar and pulled a tray of freshly rinses glasses toward her needing something to do as she arranged her thoughts while her aunt waited patiently next to her filling orders, yet her eyes never once strayed from her niece's upset expression. "Ever since business picked up at the truck with all Til's brilliant sales ideas I've hardly gotten any real time with her other than when our break line up or she's not off helping out with something at the station." The young woman confessed, "I mean I guess I'm just jealous that Rogers and to a lesser extent Weaver have gotten more time with her than I have."

Roni smiled knowingly resting a comforting hand on Margot's shoulder. "From what Rogers has been telling me even when Tilly's with him she's mostly telling him about little things the two of you have been up to." Her aunt commented, "She even says you're really coming along at your chess game." That got a much hoped for smile from the bespectacled young woman now dipping her head to hide a blush. "Tilly's a really good teacher."

Roni gave her a little laugh in answer but there was some kind of knowing understanding in her eyes in those few seconds they held Margot's "How about you take another break since the crowds thinned a bit?" If she hadn't been looking right at her she would have missed the worried look that came into her eyes as the sky outside suddenly weirdly darkened in the middle of the day.

"Everything okay?"

Roni started in surprise turning away from the now darkened window trying to steady her hand in passing Margot the book she always kept close at hand under the bar. Her treasured copy of Alice in Wonderland that she had found tucked away in her backpack one night when the bus she was on had once again broken down in the middle of a rainstorm.

"Careful," Margot growled defensively not fast enough to catch it when the second-hand book fell from her aunt's trembling fingers, so it landed tent like onto the floor between them. "I got you Alice." Margot promised picking the book up tenderly then noticing for the first time that it seemed to have something tucked between its pages like a bookmarker when the thing falls back out from the overturned book and back onto the floor.

The envelope puzzled her. Margot had read the book cover to cover several times since she'd found it hidden away in her pack and this letter certainly hadn't been in it before. No matter how familiar it might be to the world traveler. It wasn't until she had picked it up and turned it over that she realized quiet possibly how this new addition had come to be tucked into her favorite book.

It was Tilly's handwriting scrawled across the front.

"My Love"

Margot's heart beat a little faster as she read over the words again and again as she tripped her way over toward an empty table and away from her aunt who was now in a heated whispered conversation with that Lucy the kid who'd been hanging around more and more of late.

Her hands were trembling worse than Roni's had been moments earlier as she opened the letter and carefully unfolded the letter inside.

Reading over her girlfriend's well thought out yet hastily written words quietly giggling over how very much like Alice every syllable of the note sounded- even the crossed out bits- in that little corner of the trembling bar triggered something deeply buried in Margot's mind. It was as if this letter wasn't just a love confession from the woman she herself loved but it was a link to something else…. No, it was a link to someone else that Margot had somehow forgotten.

Herself.

The longer she re-read Tilly's words the hazier flashes of memories of what Alice was writing about flashed in Margot's mind.

' _Don't Move Spy'_

' _You're Alice…. Nook's kid.'_

" _Kind of New here names Robin."_

' _New Robin…So Nobin?'_

" _I've been lodes of places and this cage least favorite in all the realms"_

" _Seriously Tower Girl?"_

' _I escaped these walls but I'm still bloody trapped'_

" _It's from one of my adventures in Wonderland"_

' _I once outran a Bandersnatch'_

" _Did you not hear me? I said leave her alone"_

" _We'll Always know eachother…. even when we don't'_

Robin's hands slammed palms down on top of the table clawing at the side of it needing something less breakable than Alice's letter to hold on to as her mind was overwhelmed yet again with more flashes of her life. Both as Margot and as Robin but always with that one woman who made life worth living….

A strong-gripping hand clamping down on her shoulder brought the reeling archer back to the world outside her clearing mind her eyes casting around until they landed on the dull gray of her true love's father.

"We need your help love. More to the point Tilly needs your help." Nook explained just as the ground under their feet shook again in another wave of unnatural force.

Another curse.

And her Alice was caught in the crossfire yet again.

"Lead the way detective," Robin ordered her unwavering gaze seeming to surprise the man before her while at his side Rumpelstiltskin was looking at her with an all too familiar impish gaze of his own. "Let's go get our girl back." The archer exclaimed pushing past them out into the darkened street.

"Hang on Alice. I'm on my way."


	2. To the Rescue

As soon as their eyes locked over her shoulder after that first faint brush of fingers against her struggling wrists Tilly knew she wasn't just in longing crush with this woman anymore. That was one thing 'Gothel' got right. She did want to spend the rest of her life with her. All that was left of it before whatever Gothel had brought in with her magic destroyed everything that is.

"Targo get out of here." Tilly begged trying to make her plea heard over the sound of falling rocks, howling winds, and struggling fights going on around them as both Weaver and Rogers scattered the rest of the cult members. "Just go before you get hurt please." Tilly pleaded while she felt Margot's fingers pulling again at the knots binding her arms behind her back keeping her trapped not far from the growing weird orange fire she had somehow helped create that was quickly eating up the space between them pulling everything else around them into its blinding bright self as it came.

"Do you really think I'm _Ever_ going to leave you again Tower Girl?" Margot hissed obviously to focused on attacking the knots than thinking over what she was saying. "No way." The bespectacled blonde vowed this time meeting Tilly's scared eyes over the top of her glasses. Her jade colored eyes somehow burning in determination without the glare of her glasses hiding them calming the terrified blonde's fears as Tilly lost herself in them while the rainbow bracelet on her wrist seemed to glow between them burning the ropes away from her skin like a knife slicing hot butter.

Finally, freed Tilly couldn't stop from spinning around to throw her arms around the other woman's neck hiding her tears against Margot's shoulder as she clings to her letting Margot's equally strong hold tighten around her lower back. "I got you Alice. I promise. I'm right here." Tilly wasn't sure if Margot was intending her to be able to hear the whispered words against her ear over the sounds of the deafening winds from the growing tornado of fiery light behind her.

The name triggered something in the back of her mind, but Tilly was too scared to really listen to that phantom voice in her head when her Margot was still in danger. "Girls we have no way of stopping this thing and there is no way in hell I am letting you mess with any of this so let's go before this thing gets any worse." Rogers bellowed over the howl of the winds as her girlfriend obediently pulled Tilly backward toward the other two.

"You didn't honestly think it would be that easy, did you?"

The smug comment made Tilly's blood run cold and her fingers to dig into the fabric of Margot's jacket when her already angry girlfriend spun around toward the woman claiming to be Tilly's mother who was still magically binding her latest prisoner just a few feet in front of her like a fish on a line.

"Aunt Regina." Margot gasped in surprise still wanting to protect Tilly but unable to keep from taking a step closer to her unconscious relative worry and anger growing in her eyes as Weaver threw out his arm to stop her from advancing anymore. Again, the name pulled at Tilly's mind but yet again her main fear over getting her girlfriend out of danger won out over questioning over how she knew that name as she worked the hand not winding around Margot's waist to hold her back into one of Margot's clenched fists needing the reassurance of her touch when her fear threatened to overwhelm her for what could have been the hundredth time that night.

"Ooohhh. It seems someone else is awake." Gothel chuckled at the outburst her eyes seeming to glow eerily in the light from the spell still building in strength behind them. "Welcome back _Robin._ " The older woman spat as she and Margot stared each other down. "Still has chivalrous as ever it seems you stupid girl." She laughed bitterly while Tilly cliched at her girlfriend's hand letting all her anger and hatred of having this woman anywhere near her Margot build in her as the bracelet around her wrist hummed in a comforting kind of power the longer she held it pressed between her arm and Margot's.

"We beat you once _witch_ and we'll…. ALICE NO."

Tilly pushed the fear in her love's scream out of her head for now. She knew what she was doing...mostly...as she kept running full force toward her would be mother feeling Rumpelstiltskin hot on her heels as she tackled the witch to the ground giving the reformed Dark One enough time to pull Regina back toward safety while she wrestled with the woman who'd tricked and poisoned her Papa and abandoned her all her life or more to the point in Tilly's case the woman that has been messing with her head more than a day off her meds just by calling herself Tilly's mother when clearly she is anything but.

She was just getting the upper hand still trying to block out Robin's panicked cries whenever the struggling pair would inch too close to the still raging spell as her love struggled against both her Papa's and Rumpelstiltskin's hold as the pair held her back with all their combined strength no matter how hard her stubborn archer struggled. The hit Gothel made against her stomach had been a lucky one but it was enough of a distraction when Alice was struggling to catch her breath that Gothel twisted out of her daughter's grip shoving Tilly as hard as she could toward the building twister of fiery light in the center of the room.

"Die well daughter min…." Gothel started to sneer but the words choked off in a gasped breath as the woman fell to her knees eyes wide in surprise before rolling back into her head as she dropped face first into the stone floor beside a wheezing and confused Tilly.

A blurry glance upward Tilly could see Margot's arm was still outstretched toward them, but it wasn't until the blonde had clawed her way away from the seemingly magnetic pull of the twister with a combined effort of Robin's, Rumple's and Roger's help and looked back one last time at the body of her 'mother' that she noticed the jagged edge of a broken bat with the engraving of _'Fireball'_ on it was imbedded in Gothel's back before her body was dragged almost reverently into the heart of the still growing spell.

"We need to leave." Margot ordered interlacing her fingers with Tilly's and seeming to be fighting the urge to lean in a kiss her if Tilly was reading the flickering of Margot's eyes between her eyes and her lips correctly as she pushed both Weaver and Roger's who was now carrying the still unconscious Regina in his arms toward the closet door.

It was only when they'd reached the street to something that could be considered safety in huddling together in back the familiar yellow food truck parked on the other side of the street from the rundown theater entrance that Tilly was able to make the decision for her not caring if they were about to be sucked into Gothel's glowing fire tornado at any second as she pulled the one woman who'd not only saw her when everyone (besides Rogers and Weaver) hadn't and accepted her bad days as well as her good ones in swallowing Margot's surprised gasp at the action with their first and quiet possaiably their last kiss.

It was that action feeling Robin's lips finally and completely on her own at last once again that finally put the last piece of the scattered puzzle together in Alice's mind just when the first wave of her mother's spell was on them dragging the truck and the kissing couple inside it into a blinding flash of orange light.


	3. Welcome to Storybrooke Tower Girl

Neither Alice nor Robin dared move from their clutching viselike grip they had on the other as soon as the truck hit solid ground again. One due to the still burst dame like rush of memories filling her head and the other from surprise at the action in the first place. Not that Robin was really complaining at being able to kiss her true love again.

It's just she didn't really know who she was lip-locked with at the moment.

Was this her Tower Girl or still her Almost Run Away?

"Hello there Nobin." The smiling blonde greeted when they finally separated for breath. Alice's wide infectious smile only growing as she reached up to tuck a loose strand of Robin's hair back behind her ear. "Tower Girl." Robin smiled pulling her girlfriend back into her arms for a longer more grounding hug feeling Alice nuzzling her face against her shoulder as she hugged her back with equal enthusiasm. "See I told you we always…." Alice started with a giggle, but Robin wasn't about to let her finish her thought and earning a high surprised squeak from her girlfriend in the process. "Never mind." Alice hummed into the kiss letting her fingers tangling in the young archer's hair as they kissed for a third time than a fourth. "I have to say, love, those glasses do look adorable on you but..." Alice commented her finger brushing against the frames as she pulled them off with one for her wide excited smiles. "There's my Nobin Robin." That produced an eye roll and a whined "Don't call me that." from her archer while the couple leaned in for yet another kiss.

"Alice?"

The sound of Nook's worried voice was the only thing that could even hope to pull Alice away from her giggling archer as the couple pulled themselves up from the floor of the food truck.

Robin and Alice stepped out into the world with their hands tightly clasped in the others onto a street one of them knew all too well despite not being on it in a long time. "Alice!" The awakened father exclaimed again at the sight of his daughter. It wasn't until they were the last twelve steps apart that it happened…. again.

The running pirate's legs buckled under him sending him down onto his knees one hand braced against the side of the creamy yellow truck while the other was clawing at his chest as he let out even more shallow labored breaths. "I've missed you Starfish." He whispered struggling to stand leaning heavily against the truck as he did so. "Papa please it's hurting you." Alice begged backing away the closer her Papa moved forward all without dropping Robin's hand as her strong archer backed away with her but clearly torn between just who she wanted to help at the moment. "Least the distance is shorter now." Nook smiled pained thought it was as he rolled back against the window finally stopping his approach. "Papa." Alice whispered her voice as pained as Nook seemed to be feeling.

Robin's arms snaked around Alice's waist cradling her trembling adventures against her giving her some comfort against the pain twisting in her chest over the pain she was causing her father while Nook was still struggling to stand up without needing to lean against the side of the truck for support as his breathing evened out.

"What the heck is this thing doing blocking the way to my diner?" Granny growled making the quick thinking archer gently spinning her true love into the safety of the truck and closing the door behind her with a finger pressed against her lips and a pleading look in her eyes at they held Alice's just as the elder wolf come around the side of the truck with her hands on her hips and reminding the other three that they were, in fact, standing in the middle of a street in the early morning hours of a new day. "What's going on here little cub?" the elder woman questioned her eyes still trained on Robin's in the early morning light. "Besides I thought you would have jumped at the chance to get out of here again when Regina and your mother went back to the EF or wherever it is you live now."

"And miss one more day of your amazing grand slam breakfasts first thing in the morning?" Robin laughed hastily coming up with a more believable reason for her being here after the amused smile slipped from the elder wolf's mouth and her gaze became more probing over the top of her glasses. "N…erm Hook just had a bit too much last night and I've been trying to help him home to sleep it off." The young archer lied smoothly rolling her eyes at her old nickname while using Nook's still weakened state as a cover as she draped an arm around her shoulders. Thankfully it was still just dark enough that the older wolf didn't seem too curious about the truck parked in front of her diner other than the fact that is was in front of her diner so close to opening time. "Yeah, Ruby and Dorothy did say something about wanting to challenge him to a drinking contest yesterday down at the Rabbit Hole next time they were in town." The older woman laughed "Seems our Kansas Gale really can drink the pirate under the table huh?"

Robin joined in the laughter this time with a shrugged node in answer. "Yeah seems so." She agreed glaring over at Nook to keep quiet over what they were talking about. The young archer already knew full well that he hadn't touched a drop of alcohol for years ever since he's become a father even when he was cursed. "And I'd return Mo's truck to him while you're at it. Emma's not going to let a truckload of roses and some fancy baked bread make up for you drinking yourself cross eyed last night." The chuckling wolf commented taking an appreciative sniff of the lingering smell of freshly made banyans then paused at the end of the truck in thought and making Robin's heart beat just a bit faster thinking her lie wasn't about to hold up any longer as she met Granny's gaze close to panic.

"How about we get him to the Inn for some rest and get some coffee in him before we let him face our favorite savior sheriff?"

Robin wanted nothing more than to hug the elder wolf in gratitude as she nodded knowing Alice definitely wanted to do the same going by the soft cheers she heard from behind the truck's door that mercifully Granny wasn't hearing as she was too focused on scolding Nook for over drinking just because of one little argument with Emma as she leads him down the side street to the B&B behind the diner.

"Welcome to Storybrooke Tower Girl," Robin whispered throwing the door open again to find her true love with happy tears in her eyes and a shaky smile on her lips. "We need to get you somewhere safe."


	4. A Wet Place to Lay Low

Robin had to use a bit more tact to convince Granny to make the breakfast the elder woman had insisted on making for the young archer a to-go order but somehow, she had with the archer fidgeting nervously at the end of the counter all the while as she waited and more than once catching Granny's eyes following her own to the creamy yellow truck.

"On the house honey." Granny corrected as Robin started to reach for Margot's wallet. "Thanks Gran." The archer smiled leaning across the counter to hug the woman who was like a very protective member of her extended family. "Go on little hood go have an adventure already." Granny scolded playfully shooing Robin toward the door.

With one last wave Robin sped out the door trying not to act like she had the love of her life hiding in the back of the car as she climbed into the food truck sending Alice a teasing wink in the mirror as handed over the food bag to the blonde while Robin pulled the truck away from the curb.

"How are we supposed to hide this thing?" the blonde questioned getting up from her contemplation of the truck's ceiling to climb into the passenger seat as soon as the truck turned down a side road and out of sight from the watching wolf at the diner. "With this." Robin answered as soon as she found a side ally to momentarily hide the eye-catching truck for a few minutes.

"With wh…" Alice started to ask when all Robin did was drop the food bag into her lap with one hand as the archer turned the truck off and tucked the keys into her jacket. "With this." Margot repeated turning in her seat to look at Alice better as dug into the inside pocket of her jacket with one of her smug crooked smiles as she pulled the thing out with a little flourish "Ta-dah."

Alice's eyes widened at the sight of the thing in her lover's hand. "But how?" she asked reaching out tentatively to brush her fingers against the smooth stone holding it as well as Robin's hand. "Mom gave it to me when she asked me…well when as asked Margot to be her maid of honor back when we were still cursed." Robin answered. "Must have come over with the curse and somehow she got it back…or maybe Kelly had it just didn't know what it was or something like that I guess." Robin shrugged "Although now I realize that Mom and Aunt Regina must have been awake all or at least half the time the rest of us were cursed for them to be acting so weird."

"True but at least we know who we are now." Alice hummed in agreement while curiously digging around in the bag on her lap only to look up to pull a still sulking Robin in for a greedy kiss. "and I'll take remembering every second with you over your Mother remembering but not telling us any time." She whispered against Robin's lips. That brought out a complementary sigh from the archer. That is until a blink and a glance around reminded them both that they still had a bit of an adventure on their hands.

"The car should be safe here as long as we disguise it or better yet cloak it until we can hide it better. As for us I have an even better hiding place in mind that shouldn't be too hard to steal if I remember things correctly in the timeline we're stuck in." Alice just nodded in agreement her curiosity growing as she struggled to keep from leaning in to kiss away that adorable crinkle on Robin's forehead as she concentrated on making their plane.

Before Alice could ask just how her clever archer could cloak such a stand out truck she noticed a green pulsing light growing from the pendant still nestled in Robin's other hand. With an amazed gasp and a glance at the rearview mirror, Alice watched as the outside of the truck shimmered against the glass and the bricks of the ally before melting away like water over stone. "Huh, Not bad for my first actual camouflaging spell."

"Erm hang on should I have a disguise too or do you think I'll be alright since not many people are out yet?" Alice asked taking Robin hand while her love helped her down from the truck. "Don't worry about that Tower Girl." Robin answered, "I just….err see earlier was just an over reaction but cause no one in this town knows you then they would immediately think you're here to hurt them like that weird Timaria person." The blond let that go with a tillite of her head "Granny's a bit of a gossip and if she saw us together then word would definitely get back to Mom and Aunt Regina and since they don't know you right now either it would just mess everything up." Robin translated interlocking their fingers together. "Now let's go I have a surprise for you."

Alice hummed happily at that making sure Robin had both the emerald pendant and a tight grip on her hand before she stepped out of the truck with the couple's breakfast if/when they stopped to eat it.

Robin was sure to have her phone out and ready as soon as they came within sight of their destination. She didn't want Nook to miss a single second of his daughter's reaction.

The greasy bag nearly fell onto the sidewalk between them as Tilly stared open-mouthed at the thing in front of her. "This can't be…." Robin only giggled and nodded at her "Oh but it is." She promised reluctantly letting go of Alice's hand to let the blonde run on ahead for a better look.

"Alice Jones meet the other important woman in her Papa's life." Robin teased needing to quicken her pace to keep up with the overjoyed blonde now all but vibrating in excitement just at the very edge of the gangplank. "I mean Targo this is…." Alice stammered reminding Margot of their first cursed selves first date when she felt Alice's hand slipping into her own pulling her along with her as she hurried up the ramp to the deck of the ship. "Yeap." Robin nodded pushing herself up onto the side railing as she watched her love spinning around on the deck her eyes roaming over everything all at once. "This is…." She said again still unable to believe where she was standing.

"What the bloody hell are you two lasses think you're doing on my ship?"


	5. Sailing away on a date

"Come on way to kill the mood pirate." Robin scoffed while Alice dove for cover behind a stack of crates at the sound of rushing feet up the gangplank "Sure, I should have asked if it was alright, but I thought you'd be out longer." Robin stammered trying to buy Alice time to hide not wanting to risk the original copy of her father possibly recognizing himself in her.

The pirate paused his head tilted in confusion as he leaned back against the side of the ship beside the sulking archer. "Since when have you asked for anything recently?" he asked playfully nudging his shoulder against hers. "But I thought Emma made you spend a night at the office for stealing her car to think about what happens when you steal from a fellow thief." Killian reasoned

"Erm…." Robin started to answer while he met her rather guilty expression that quickly changed to a cocky one as she noticed Alice smirking at her from her place behind the ship's mast just over Original Hook's shoulder. "Then she of all people should have known that the first rule of being a thief is sleight of hand and how to work a lock." Robin answered coolly earning a barely stifled laugh from Alice and a bark of laughter from the pirate beside her.

"That she should have lass." He chuckled running his hand through his unkempt hair. "But you said that I had as they say, 'crashed your date'" Robin had to bite down on the inside of her cheek to keep her composure at his one-handed air quotes "Yet I don't see the other half of said date. Unless it's another one of those magic talking phone dates." He added noticing how fast Robin had pocketed her phone when he'd approached.

Robin was scrambling again but she didn't have to for long when Alice stepped out from her hiding place with one of her shy friendly smiles. "It's all my fault sir. I just…. Well you see we met in a tavern on her last trip home and Robin said she knew you and I didn't believe her, I mean you the legendary Captain Hook she couldn't possibly know you, so she brought me here to prove me wrong." The blonde started in nervously meeting then immediately dropping Hook's eyes but kept her distance not wanting to risk possibly putting her Papa's curse onto him.

"That's the first time I've been used as a pick-up line." The pirate laughed out loud looking between Robin and Alice in amusement. "It wasn't." the couple said together both shuddering at the very idea.

"Sure, sounds like you did to me." Hook scoffed respectfully keeping his distance from the blonde now cradled against Robin's side "But call me old fashioned but arnt young ladies like yourselves meant to have chaperons while on dates?" he pointed out scratching his chin with the end of his signature hook. "And we might not be able to sail very far from port but I've known some couples find sailing a nice getaway for a date….just don't get any wild ideas about going below deck." The pirate continued

"We'll stay on deck Pa…. I mean Captain." Alice jumped in with an excited smile while Robin just thought more and more about jumping head first over the side of the tied-up pirate ship from embarrassment. She wasn't opposed to going on a date with her true love while they brainstormed ideas about how and why they had ended up in Storybrooke it was just weird to have Nook's doubleganger tagging along.

"Then let's go you two lasses sailing." The pirate joked still wondering how and why the blonde seemed so familiar to him. "Want to help me cast off?" the pirate asked and Robin was sure that her father could hear Alice's ecstatic squeal all the way in his room at back in town as she nodded pausing to press a searching promising kiss against Robin's lips before skipping over still cautiously to Hook's side.

"Hi, Nook." Robin sighed dialing Roger's number knowing he'd be wondering how they were. She couldn't help rolling her eyes at his grumbling at the nickname on the other end of the call when he picked up. "So we're going to be a little late. Well we ran into your less dashing other self and he's talked us into letting him be our chaperon for date night." the archer explained dropping her voice when Hook gave her a strange look. Robin tried to keep the pain from her voice when the father immediately asked the only real question after making sure the couple was safe. "It doesn't look like it." the archer confessed seeing how close Hook was standing to Alice without pain as the Captian instructed his Wish self's daughter on how to guide his ship out of the docks. "But he's not you so she's not that happy about it." Robin promised knowing without needing to ask that that was how Alice was feeling.


	6. Starlight

The thing that surprised him the most as the three sailed around the town was how this new face in the sleepy town had such an effect on someone who was to put it nicely the town rebel since hitting her teenage years. He'd seen Robin around town on dates, but this seemed different in the best possible way. She seemed happier than any of those other times with her arms wrapped around the mystery blonde.

It nagged at his mind the longer he watched the couple from his place at the ship's wheel. He knew the blonde. Somehow, he knew he knew her, but he just couldn't put his hook on how.

The song that drifted from Robin's talking phone was a strange one but even the pirate had to admit it was a pretty one for a dance under the stars and seeing as they had been out since daybreak under the stars was exactly what they had for a backdrop

He had thought once or twice to suggest they head back to dry land but the blonde who's name he'd yet to learn other than hearing Robin calling her 'Tils' once or twice as the talked together would get this wounded pouting look on her face at the thought of ending her mini sailing lessons so soon that just broke Killian's heart to see and had Robin shaking her head in fierce defiance as well. Not that Captain Hook was really complaining. He'd missed the feel of sailing even when it was just to the invisible edge of the small town and back again.

He could see from the deck that Robin and her date were singing to one another as they swayed along with the ship while they danced. Even Snow and David didn't seem to have the same look for one another as the couple did looking into each other's eyes.

Unfortunately, Hook was stopped from any more thought on the topic by his own talking phone making his coat pocket vibrate.

"Swan." He greeted because despite being married had the savior taking his last name he still loved calling her that. "I know lass, but I've been acting as a chaperone for Robin and her date and they are in the middle of a rather sweet moment at the moment and it would be rude to interrupt." The captain explained his eyes still trained on the couple now laying out to stare gaze cuddled up on Robin's jacket. "I think I know who's been on my ship all day Emma." Killian grumbled when his wife countered him rather angrily at that.

"Bloody hell." The pirate cursed louder than intended when rather than argue more the phone was handed over and a new voice greeted him telling the dumbfounded captain that the woman who was now looking incredibly nervous at him from the deck should be with Emma finishing up the last of the community service job the savior had set up helping at the animal shelter a job they had been working at all afternoon.

"We need to go." He heard the Robin on deck hiss no doubt seeing the ruse was up. "No time Alice come on." She followed up at her date's wounded expression as she was hauled non to gently to her feet. The two disappeared in a thick cloud of greenish blue smoke seconds before Killian could reach them having jumped over the railing leading to the ships wheel down to the deck as if he was trying to delay them.

"Well, where are they?" Emma called out only lowering her gun a little as she and a puzzled younger Robin Mills came up the gangplank the instant the pirate ship reached the docks.

"Gone." Killian sighed in defeat but held up his good hand before Emma could scold him. "But they left so fast they didn't take everything with them love." He announced perking both women's interest as he brought his hooked arm from behind his back.

"That looks like Dad's old jackets. I mean it's not, but it at least resembles the one hanging in the hall closet at Aunt Regina's house." Robin recognized then shivered as if just then remembering that Emma had rushed them to the car before she could grab her own jacket at the threat of dangerous strangers in town. "That's evidence." Emma snapped when the younger woman reached out to take the jacket from the hooked hand of the town's deputy sheriff.

"But I'm cold." Robin whined already sliding her arms in the sleeves and sighing at the warmth and sweet scent of baking bread still clinging to the cloth and leather of the jacket. It was just a tad roomier than she was used to, but she wasn't about to take it off in the chilly night air. Ignoring the spluttering grumbles of the sheriff and wanting to get back to the station so she could finally go home Robin shoved her hands in the pockets and headed down the ramp toward the yellow car she'd so recently tried to steal.

It wasn't until she had slumped down in the yellow bug's backseat with her feet stretched as best she could in front of her that she felt it. That light rustling of something in the inside pocket as she shifted her arm out of the sleeve proved that something was inside but before the curious woman could investigate more than pulling the envelop partially out of the pocket Emma was stomping over to the car with Hook close behind her sending Robin a guilty look when his wife started growling for her to get her feet off the seat as she slammed the door on the driver's side and started the engine making Robin hastily yet carefully replacing the letter in her jacket before either of them saw it.

"So, looks like you have two of me running around huh?" she commented catching the blonde's eye in the review mirror "Seems like." Emma agreed "And I thought just keeping you in line was trouble enough." She added with just the hint of a teasing smile "And you can wear that until we get back to the station then it becomes evidence again." the Sheriff warned as they pulled back onto the main road.

Robin nodded grudgingly but guessed she could just hide the letter in her backpack once they made it back to the station before Emma could find it at least to get back at her for making her sleep behind bars even if it was only for a day. Besides, it was in her jacket so technically the letter belonged to her and come on not everyone new in town wants to kill everyone otherwise when adult Pinocchio rolled into town it would have been a different story.


End file.
